Cheating
by Makiie
Summary: [[BXE, BPOV]] Really, if you could hear everyone's thoughts during an exam, wouldn't you take advantage of it? [oneshot dose of fluff and humor]


**A/N: **In honor of finally finishing my exams, here's a question I've had on my mind for a bit:

If Edward can hear other people's thoughts, then has he ever cheated on an exam?

A slight deviation from my normally angst due to my now much more chipper mood. Please enjoy while it lasts.

**Disclaimer: **It's a good thing that Twilight and New Moon by the charming Stephenie Meyer are in English, as I'm quite sure that the results of my language exams will reveal it's the only language I'm even moderately fluent in.

"Have you ever cheated?"

"Hmm?" he asked, velvet voice muffled by the half open door and mountain of clothing separating us.

"I said, 'Have you ever cheated?' Really, it must have crossed your mind at least once, what with answers probably being flung at you from everywhere when you're taking an exam," I reiterated, while I continued to dig through my closet for the sweater I was quite sure I'd left in there _somewhere. _While it had started as a search for the turtleneck I had purchased to wear under my graduation robe, it was slowly morphing into an attempt at overdue spring cleaning. Now was as good a time as any to organize my things, I'd need to pack them up to leave soon if I had my way.

"What brought that up?" he asked, taking a few steps forward to lean over me as I searched. His bronze hair was, as usual, unkempt and his golden eyes were curious as they looked at me from his elevated position.

"I guess now that exams are almost done, it just sort of crossed my mind. But you haven't answered the question, have you?" I asked again, genuinely interested now. I had only asked him the question as a bridge into what was slowly becoming a daily argument for us, graduation. But, that could wait for a little while at least, I could never turn down an opportunity to find out more about the enigma that was Edward. It seemed that even after over a year of knowing him, the surprises still abounded. Every question answered contained yet another question to ask. It would take all of eternity to ask every one of them.

But soon, that would be an option.

"Why should I? As a vampire, I have a perfect memory, no detail is forgotten. I don't need to probe the mind of someone who uses only ten percent of their brain for an answer to a science or math exam. Besides, it's not as if I have no time to study, I need something to fill the night hours," he replied somewhat haughtily.

"But really, even with perfect memory and a surplus of studying time, it's not as if you always know everything. As the world changes, so does the way it educates its youth. When you were seventeen, penicillin hadn't even been discovered yet. Haven't you ever done it, even accidentally?" I asked, somewhat perturbed at his perfection. While I didn't make it a regular habit, I had cheated once or twice. It hadn't been purposeful, it wasn't my fault that the smartest boy in the fifth grade had picked up his paper so that the one math problem I couldn't figure out was suddenly right in my face.

Completely accidental.

"Well, yes, exams are normally a time when thoughts are quite aggressive, particularly in the process of solving a math equation, but most of the time, I don't need the answers I'm supplied with. And besides, it's impossible to discern who is correct and who isn't," he explained, somewhat nonchalantly.

"Most of the time?" I asked, picking up on his slip. Had I really heard what I just thought? Had the great and mighty Edward who knew absolutely everything just admitted that he had cheated?

I stood up now, being careful not to trip over the hazardous pile of clothing, hoping to find the truth in his eyes. They were slightly startled, as if what I was insinuating was utterly impossible.

Or that I had hit the mark exactly.

'_It's human nature to cut corners and cheat. And while they may be buried deep, he's admitted they're in him,' _I surmised, letting a smile spread slowly spread across my face

"It's not as if I can help it. The thoughts are very aggressive, you know. I can block them out somewhat, but when I was younger I couldn't really control it and it was still hard to resist, and there was an exam on the bones in the body and I hadn't read the text on the bones of the skull, and I was trying to think of the zygomatic, and then someone thought it, and I thought that the information shouldn't be put to waste…but I swear I've never _intentionally _listened in on anyone's thoughts just to procure an answer," he rambled on. His face was panicked, eyes frantic as he tried to convey some sort of apology to me. As if he were afraid I'd think of him any differently if I knew his little secret. He bent his head in shame, avoiding my eyes.

"You know," I said, letting a hand cup his cheek, "I cheated in fifth grade on a math test."

"Really?" he asked, a broken laugh coming out of him. He seemed embarrassed at his earlier slip, but he had gone through a complete turnaround, his composure slowly coming back.

"Yes, but I do have one request."

"What is it?" he asked voice curious.

"If you really are so set on me going to college, try to listen in on Angela during the Calculus exam."

**A/N: **See, I'm not dead. Just mostly dead.

Unfortunately, the past few months have been insanely hectic, and it seemed that any time I tried to write, something came up. And then were exams to study for, and general laziness to combat…

And you can where I'm going with this, can't you?

Anyhow, now that exams are over, and graduation is imminent and tomorrow I'll be left to my own devices and the weekend has been freed of studying and homework…I _promise_ that at least two of the updates I promised will be provided. And yes, that includes the new chapter of 'Waiting.'

This was more a test of if I could still write, as the little writing I've done has been spread out between so many stories that I wasn't quite sure I could still create a beginning, middle, and end.

So stay tuned for more adventures of Makiie in freedomfromhomeworkandschoolandfinallysleepingmorethanfivehoursanightland.


End file.
